Improvement in bee-hives



@Zange muy N. PETERS, PHOYo-LITHOGHAPNE UNITED STATES ATENT EEICE.

ALEXANDER HOGG, OE RUTLAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,038, dated September 22, 1863.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER Hoed, ot Rutland, in the county of Meigs and State ot Ohio, haveinvented a new and improved Bee- Hive; and I do hereby declare that the following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of my invention, taken in the line .r Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a bee-hive which will be proof against the intrusion of the bee-moth, and which will afford great facilities for applying slide-drawers to the main hive and removing them therefrom, and which will also afford great facilities for forming new colonies from the parent hive without allowing the bees to swarm, the invention at the same time admitting of the spare honey being readily removed from the drawers, and also admit of the combs in the main hive being rendered very accessible in case their removalV is required.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a box or case of rectangular form,and having an inclined bottom, a, and a back, b, which is attached at its lower end to the elevated end ofthe bottom a by means of hinges c. At the front side of the box or case A there is an inclined board, d, which projects down toward the inclined bottom a, but does not touch it, a space, e, being allowed between to form a bee-entrance, as shown in Fig. 2.

Within the box or case A there are placed two vertical partitions, g g, and between the partition g and the sides of the box or case there are placed horizontal partitions h, which form three compartments at each side of the the compartment between the partitions g, a drawer, B, being placed in each of the compartments iirst mentioned. Between the partitions g g, at their upper parts, there is placed a horizontal partition, i, which forms a compartment, in which two drawers, C C, are placed side by side. The compartment between the partitions g g and below the partition i is considerably larger than any of the other compartments, and it contains two drawers, D D', placed one above the other, and said compartment is provided with a horizontal bottom, E, composedof parallel slats j, placed at equal and suitable distances apart. (See more particularly Fig. l.)

The lower drawer,D/,is composed of a slatted top and bottom, k, and with close sides and back ends, Z, and also with a close front, m, containing a light'of glass, a. The upper drawer, D, is constructed in the same way, with the exception that it has not a slatted top. The fronts m of the drawersextend beyond the sides ot' the same, and also project down below their bottoms. The back and front parts of the bottoms of both the drawers D are provided with pendent cleats or feet o, and pins p are driven horizontally into the backs and sides of these drawers at their back ends, said pins projecting out sufficiently far from the drawers to retain the latter in proper position, and admit of a space atthe sides and back ends of the drawers for the passage ot' the bees, the bodies of said drawers being smaller than the compartment in which they are fitted to admit of this, and a space is allowed between the two drawers D D in consequence of the cleats or feet o of the upper drawer, D. (See more particularly Fig. 2.)

The partitions g are perforated vt ith holes q, and the sides of the drawers B are also perforated with holes r to admit of the bees passing into said drawers. (See Fig. l.) The upper drawers, C C, have their sides and top projecting beyond their bottoms, so as to leave a space, s, at the backs of said drawers. The backs of the drawers C have slots t made in them, and the back edge of the partition i also has slots o made in it to admit of the bees passing into said drawers. (See Fig. 2.) By this arrangement and construction of the hive many advantages, it is believed, are obtained over those of ordinary construction. The slatted bottom E, while admitting of the free entrance of the bees, serves to retard the moth, and enables the bees to readily expel the same. The drawers D D', which constitute the hive proper or main portion of the hive, admit of swarms being obtained or taken from the hive without the usual swarming process. This is effected by removin the lower drawer, 1)', which contains most of the young brood and eggs, and placingitin a vacanthive, an empty draw being pl aced in the old hive. By having the main portion ot' the hive formed of two parts or drawers, the moth, it' theT should chance to effect an entrance into the lower drawer, D', are prevented from following a comb continuously upward into the drawer D, in consequence of the two drawrrs being divided b'v a space, as described.'

The drawers B G may be inserted iu the boX or case A and removed therefrom at an y time, as occasion may require. These drawers are constructed in such a manner that one side of each may be removed iu order to facilitate the removal of the honey therefrom andwithontbreakingthecomb-a contingency which is attended with considerable waste or loss of honey. There are Ventilating-openings a' made in the front side of the hive.

Sliding drawers have been lou g used in beehives, and I do not claim them separately or in themselves considered; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isf- A bee/hive composed of a rectangular box or case, A, provided with a slatted bottom, E, and with vertical partitions g g and horizontal partitions 71, t', all arranged, as shown, to form compartments to receive drawers B G D D', the drawers B being at the sides of the drawers D D', and the drawers O above the latter, a communication being formed between t-he drawers D D' aud B C, as shown, and the drawers D D' being constructed and arranged, as shown, so as to form the body or main part ot the hive, and still either ot' the drawers rendered capable of removal for the purpose specified.

ALEXANDER I-IOGG. Vituesses:

THos. J. L; SPILLER, Gno. LEE. 

